1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a catalyst for polymerizing alpha-olefins, a method for producing such a catalyst and to a method of polymerizing alpha-olefins with such a catalyst. A particular aspect of the present invention relates to a method for preparing a high activity catalyst composition which produces medium density and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), having relatively narrow molecular weight distribution, and to the polymerization process utilizing such a catalyst composition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Linear low density polyethylene polymers possess properties which distinguish them from other polyethylene polymers, such as ethylene homopolymers. Certain of these properties are described by Anderson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,698.
Karol et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,566, describe a process for producing certain linear low density polyethylene polymers in a gas phase, fluid bed reactor.
Graff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,547, Stevens et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,384, Strobel et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,754, and Ziegler, deceased, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,009, each describe various polymerization processes suitable for producing forms of polyethylene other than linear low density polyethylene, per se.
Graff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,547, describes a supported catalyst obtained by treating a support with both an organoaluminum compound and an organomagnesium compound followed by contacting this treated support with a tetravalent titanium compound.
Stevens et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,384, and Stroebel et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,754, describe a catalyst prepared by first reacting a support (e.g., silica containing reactive hydroxyl groups) with an organomagnesium compound (e.g., a Grignard reagent) and then combining this reacted support with a tetravalent titanium compound. According to the teachings of both of these patents, no unreacted organomagnesium compound is present when the reacted support is contacted with the tetravalent titanium compound.
Ziegler, deceased, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,009, describe a catalyst which is the reaction product of an organomagnesium compound (e.g., an alkylmagnesium halide) with a tetravalent titanium compound. The reaction of the organomagnesium compound with the tetravalent titanium compound takes place in the absence of a support material.
A vanadium-containing catalyst, used in conjunction with triisobutylaluminum as a co-catalyst, is disclosed by W. L. Carrick et al in Journal of American Chemical Society, Volume 82, page 1502 (1960) and Volume 83, page 2654 (1961).
Nowlin et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,301, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose a supported alpha-olefin polymerization catalyst composition prepared by reacting a support containing OH groups with a stoichiometric excess of an organomagnesium composition, with respect to the OH groups content, and then reacting the product with a tetravalent titanium compound. The thus-obtained catalyst is activated with a suitable activator, e.g., disclosed by Stevens et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,384 or by Stroebel et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,754. The preferred activator of Nowlin et al is triethylaluminum.
It is a primary object of the present invention to prepare a catalyst composition for the polymerization of alpha-olefins which yields polymerization products having a relatively narrow molecular weight distribution.
Additional objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description.